Eagles TE Zach Ertz says issues with the team have been "mended," according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. "This is the place I want to be, this is the place I want to retire," Ertz said, speaking publicly for the 1st time since the start of training camp. "I'm moving on from everything that happened this offseason. There have been apologies." This, of course, doesn't mean that an in-season trade is out of the question. But we have to head toward Week 1 assuming Ertz will be an Eagle for the year. That obviously cuts into the weekly upside -- and floor -- for Dallas Goedert, who has moved down our TE rankings. There is room in the offense for both to be fantasy relevant, though.
The Broncos are cutting RB Royce Freeman, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The move follows "a couple of waiver claims and the need for space on the roster." We're a little surprised Denver couldn't find a trade partner here and would bet on Freeman landing somewhere pretty quickly. Atlanta seems like an obvious candidate, while several other teams ended up with shallow RB depth charts after cutting rosters down to 53.
The Panthers on Wednesday released WR David Moore. The veteran became basically irrelevant for fantasy purposes once the team drafted Terrace Marshall. Beyond the top 3 at wideout, Carolina also still has Brandon Zylstra and Shi Smith on the roster at the position.
The Bears signed WR Breshad Perriman, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. The fact that Perriman couldn't make the Lions' roster says a lot about where his game is at. So despite opportunity in Chicago behind WRs Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney, Perriman isn't an appealing fantasy target.
Vikings TE Irv Smith had surgery Wednesday morning to repair his injured meniscus. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that he has a 4-5 month recovery timeline, which almost certainly ends Smith's season. That leaves opportunity open at the position. HC Mike Zimmer talked up Tyler Conklin this summer. Conklin missed about half of August with a hamstring injury, but he has downplayed the severity and said he expects to be ready for the opener. He's our top choice among Minnesota TEs. The team also traded for Chris Herndon this week, of course. The former Jet comes with athletic upside but has disappointed since a standout rookie year. It's worth noting the Jets unloaded him for merely a move up from Round 6 to Round 4 in the 2022 draft. We'll see whether the Vikings look to add anything else over the next week and a half -- or in season if they're dissatisfied once the games begin.
Jaguars HC Urban Meyer said Tuesday that WRs D.J. Chark (finger) and Marvin Jones (shoulder) will be ready for the season opener. Chark has been out since undergoing surgery in early August. Jones hurt his shoulder last week. We'll keep an eye on both guys' participation levels when Jacksonville starts releasing practice reports next week.
The Texans are carrying RBs Phillip Lindsay, Mark Ingram, David Johnson, Rex Burkhead and Scottie Phillips on their 53-man roster. Based on preseason usage, we expect Lindsay and Ingram to share early-down work, with Johnson and possibly Burkhead playing on passing downs. It's a situation in avoid in fantasy football.
RBs Justin Jackson, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree all made the Chargers' 53-man roster behind RB Austin Ekeler. It's still unclear how snaps and touches will be divvied between those 3. Jackson was reportedly in the lead for the #2 RB job before hurting his groin in the preseason opener. It'll be a situation to monitor in Week 1.
The Cardinals on Tuesday placed CB Malcolm Butler on the reserve/retired list. That came a day after NFL Network's Mike Garafolo surprising report that a "personal situation" had Butler considering hanging 'em up. That leaves Byron Murphy and Robert Alford as the top 2 CBs for Arizona. The 3rd isn't yet clear, but 4th-round rookie Marco Wilson might be trending toward occupying that spot. We'll see whether the Cardinals add a contender for the role.
Houston waived WR Keke Coutee. It’s a surprising move considering the team’s lack of proven depth — and because of Anthony Miller’s current shoulder dislocation. Look for Coutee to land a new gig shortly.
The Bears placed RB Tarik Cohen on reserve/PUP. In other words, he’ll miss at least the first 6 games of the season. Chicago will move forward with David Montgomery and Damien Williams as the top-2 RBs. Montgomery should dominate the rushing work, with Williams acting as a change-of-pace/receiving back. Montgomery is in play as a mid-to-late Round 3 pick. Williams is a worthy late-round flier.
The Raiders have released WR John Brown at his request, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Brown was set to open the season no higher than 4th on Vegas' depth chart, behind Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow. We'll see where he lands, but the 31-year-old is clearly a long shot for fantasy value.
The Lions released Ks Zane Gonzalez and Randy Bullock. They don't have a K on the roster now. We'll see what they do at the position, but it's not a situation to mess with in fantasy drafts.
The Eagles released RB Jordan Howard. The 26-year-old has been a major disappointment since running for over 1,100 yards in each of his first 2 NFL seasons. Still, the move is a bit surprising since Philadelphia already cut ties with RB Kerryon Johnson. This leaves Miles Sanders, Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell as the only RBs on the roster. Sanders should dominate carries in this backfield, with Scott and Gainwell likely stealing passing-down work.
Giants HC Joe Judge said Tuesday that TE Evan Engram's status for Week 1 is uncertain. We still don't have any details on Engram's calf injury, and Judge said there's “gray area” with the situation. It at least sounds like Engram avoided a serious injury. But it's never good when a guy who's struggled with injuries is hurt before the season even begins.
Saints RB Latavius Murray survived roster cuts, according to insider Nick Underhill. Murray was out-played this summer by Tony Jones, who appears to be the favorite for the #2 job in New Orleans. Murray's presence makes the situation murky, though. We'll see how these guys are used behind RB Alvin Kamara in Week 1.
The Chargers have waived WR Tyron Johnson. The speedster posted a 20-398-3 receiving line for last season's Chargers, 2 years after his final campaign at Oklahoma State. His departure appears to solidify rookie WR Josh Palmer in the #3 role. Jalen Guyton remains on hand for now as well.
The Jets have traded TE Chris Herndon to the Vikings for "draft pick compensation," according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That likely means a Day 3 pick, perhaps conditional. More importantly, it means Herndon enters the mix for a team that just lost Irv Smith to meniscus surgery and has been operating for a while without Tyler Conklin (hamstring). Conklin told reporters Monday that he's "feeling really good" and that the injury was "very minor in the first place," according to the team website. He has yet to return to practice but says he'll be ready for Week 1. We should learn more about Smith's return timeline after his surgery this week. Herndon, meanwhile, became expendable with a lackluster training camp and preseason for a Jets offense with nothing else exciting at TE. If Conklin is ready for the opener, we'd still bet on him as the team's initial leader at the position. We'll see whether Herndon can rebound with a new team. He remains a dynasty stash at least. Herndon's departure from the Jets also positions Tyler Kroft as the #1 TE there.
Update: The Vikings sent a 4th-round pick to New York in exchange for Herndon and a 6th-rounder.
The Chargers released K Michael Badgley. That leaves K Tristan Vizcaino atop the depth chart for now. We'll see if L.A. adds any competition. Vizcaino has just 3 career NFL FG attempts.
The Packers are keeping LT David Bakhtiari on the PUP list to begin the regular season, as he continues to work back from a late-2020 ACL tear. We're not downgrading QB Aaron Rodgers or RB Aaron Jones on this news, but it'll be an area to watch early in the year. The move means Bakhtiari will miss at least the 1st 6 weeks.
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